


Escape to Erebor

by Looking_to_the_Moon_Tonight



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Baby Dwarves, Baby Hobbits, Bagginshield is endgame, Cabbage Patch Hobbits, Frodo just wants his uncle to be happy, Hobbits in Erebor, I made too many hobbits, Kidnapping, M/M, Mistakes were made, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Tags May Change, Thorin doesn't like people who mess with his hobbit, bagginshield, but more are to be added, expect change, hobbits flee the shire, orcs invade the shire, title may change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-16 08:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15432903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Looking_to_the_Moon_Tonight/pseuds/Looking_to_the_Moon_Tonight
Summary: Ten years have passed since the Battle of the Five Armies. It has also been ten years since Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, has seen his burglar, Bilbo Baggins. At least, until hobbits show up at his gates with Bilbo. They are bruised, beaten, and desperate for a safe place after their beloved Shire is invaded by orcs. But this also gives Thorin a chance to redeem himself and act on the feelings he's been hiding for years.





	1. Hobbits in Erebor

**Author's Note:**

> Important detail to be noted: I have changed how hobbits age to be similar to those of dwarves, though I'm still working out exactly how old everyone is. They are not mentioned in the first chapter, but may be addressed in additional postings. Just a heads up.

Having Erebor back was not the fix he had been hoping for. He had known that it would take time to get his childhood home back to the standing it once had. Their mountain had been left abandoned for many years, it's only inhabitant being an awful dragon who cared not what he destroyed of it as long as his stolen gold was safe. The relationships they had with the neighboring kingdoms were almost non-existant and keeping their mountain running was difficult without their help. Many dwarves, while grateful that their lost home had been recovered, doubted that they could live in it once more. Some called it a lost cause, saying that carving a new home out of another mountain would be more benefical to their race.

But Thorin would not give up, not after all the pain and heartache reclaiming the Lonely Mountain had brought. When he was told that they would not be able to uncover the living quarters nor the mines for many years, Thorin had gone into the rubble and inspired his people to keep working, even if it seemed impossible. Winter was almost upon them by the time they finished, but they had finished the work in mere months instead of years.

When he had been told that they would not be able to stay in Erebor because of the shortage of food, he had organized the hunting parties himself. He often led them, bringing home enough meat to keep the few dwarves who stayed fed. When he wasn't hunting, he was repairing the relationship between the dwarves of Erebor and the men of Dale. By the time spring had arrived, Thorin had given the men farming tools in return for a portion of the harvest. He would admit that times were a struggle then, but now his people no longer feared going hungry.

And when the royal advisers arrived, speaking of how Thorin was not fit to be a king, he had worked hard to prove them wrong. He willingly put himself through negotiations with the elves, restraining himself from speaking ill of them. He personally went and spoke with the guilds, settling their issues and helping them find their footing within their old home. Once a week he would tour the markets, speaking with his people in hopes of not only inspiring loyalty in him, but to see what his dwarves truly needed compared to what his advisers wanted. When Durin's Day came around once more, not only had he gotten the elves to ally themselves with Erebor once more (albeit, on shaky grounds), but his people would not hear of allowing another on the throne. Even after all that had happened, with his gold sickness and the war, they believed in him and that was something Thorin was willing to fight for.

But, even though he had done everything they had said he couldn't do, he couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. As a king, he had no doubt that it was. But as Thorin, it didn't feel right. He had his home back, he had given his people hope once more, Erebor was once again being ruled by the line of Durin. It was all he had ever wanted after the attack by Smaug. But now, even after ten years after reclaiming Erebor, he still felt something was missing.

No, he knew what was missing. Glancing around, he made sure he was completely alone before pulling out an old drawing. It had been done by Ori during their journey and had been in his possession for almost as long. On the paper was a drawing of Bilbo, smiling as if he was looking straight at him. He gently let his fingers run over the page. 

He hadn't seen Bilbo since the Battle of the Five Armies. The hobbit had stayed after the battle, of that his company had confirmed to him, but he had left soon after hearing that Thorin, Fìli, and Kìli would survive. Balin had spoken to him and had tried to convince him to stay, but Bilbo wouldn't hear of it. He felt like he needed to go home and Thorin knew he was the reason. If only he had fought harder against the call of the Arkenstone, if only he had had the mind to listen to Bilbo instead of treating him like a child... If only he had tried to kill the only one his heart yearned for, maybe he would still be here. 

With a care many didn't think the king possessed, Thorin folded the picture and put it away in his pocket. It would do no good for him to dwell over what could have been. He needed to look forward. He needed to make sure his people thrived. But he couldn't dismiss the urge to get on a pony and ride to the Shire. Maybe, now that their kingdom was stable and Dìs was here to ensure it wouldn't come crashing down, he could make a trip to the home of the hobbits. Maybe he could go and make amends with Bilbo, or at least make sure he was alright.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Fìli and Kìli bursting into his office, their eyes wide and their faces beginning to glean with sweat. "What in Mahal's name is going on?" he asked, confused and a little irritated by being interrupted, "Why are you two barging in here like a pack of orcs is on your heels?"

"Uncle, you must see this!" Kìli said. panting hard. He quickly grabbed his uncle's hand, reminding the older dwarf of when he was a dwarfling. 

"There are hobbits at the gates!" Fìli said, taking Thorin's other hand as he helped his younger brother pull him from his seat, "They refuse to speak of what has brought them here, only saying they are seeking asylum."

Thorin could only blink at the news, his mind not comprehending what his nephews were telling him. There were hobbits, here in Erebor? And they were seeking asylum? Everyone knew that hobbits never left the Shire and for them to leave...? Something bad must have happened.

All he wanted to do was rush down to the gates and see if their hobbit was among those who had arrived, but he was a king. He had to remain calm and collected, lest he cause panic amongst his people. He followed his nephews down the halls, being redirected to the throne room by one of the guards. The hobbits had been moved there after they realized that they were freezing and that they had children with them. 

Worry was filling Thorin, though he would never say it aloud. If he had thought it was bad for hobbits to show up on his door, hobbits arriving with their children in tow must mean even worse. He sent one guard for Oin, wanting him on stand-by in case the hobbits, or more specifically their hobbit, was hurt. The others he ordered to return to their duties, even though he could tell the younger ones were eager to get a look at their visitors. All of his people knew the story of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who had risked it all to save their king. Almost none of his people have ever seen him and would probably trade a pretty penny to even catch a glimpse of him.

Once he knew that they were following his orders, he stepped into the throne room. All eyes turned to him, but his eyes were locked onto the hobbits in front of him. Their clothes were torn and dirty. Of the hobbits he could see, he could tell the journey was not easy. All of them were obviously underweight and covered in cuts and bruises. Little faces were peaking out of the covered wagons with them, quickly being hidden by their mothers once more. And in the front... Oh thank Mahal, in the front stood Bilbo. 

He fared no better than any other from what Thorin could tell. His skin was pale and he could see a thick bandage on his forehead. Sting was in it's holster upon the hobbit's hip, but it wasn't enough to hide the blood that stained the metal. It was black and Thorin knew that orcs were the driving force for their arrival.

Thorin took his seat on the throne, knowing that this was no time for catching up with an old friend. This was a job for a king and if whatever had harmed the hobbits was coming here, he needed to know.

"Thank you for your hospitality, your Majesty." an older hobbit said, quickly bowing to him. The others followed suit, though he could see it physically pained some of them.

"Your kind will always be welcome in our halls." he replied, "It was one of your people who allied with us when no one else would."

The old hobbit nodded. "That would be my grandson, Bilbo Baggins, you speak of." he said, giving a brief nod to the mentioned hobbit before turning his attention back to the king, "I am Gerontius Took, the thain of the Shire. I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"And what circumstances drive you to my mountain?" he asked, eyeing to group over once more, "It is well known that hobbits rarely venture beyond their borders, and much less with young children."

"I fear I bring nothing but bad news." Gerontius said, "Back west, we were dealing with one of the worst winters we have experienced in many years. Most of the hobbits with me were only faunts when it happened. We were not expecting such cold weather, but we had tried to be prepared... But the river froze and..."

The old hobbit lost his voice and Bilbo stepped forward."Without the Brandywine River, we were left without protection." he said, eyes never leaving Thorin as he spoke, "Within days, we were attacked by wolves, quickly followed by even bigger threats. On the night we fled, orcs came rushing into the Shire. They set fire to our homes, stole our food, and killed all that they found. We were lucky to have so many escape with their lives... What you see in front of you is almost all that is left of our people."

"We tried to look for help elsewhere." Gerontius said, having recovered his composure, "We first went to the men of Bree, but they were not much better off than us. And we sought help from the elves of Rivendell, but the orcs had been pushing into their lands as well. They gave us shelter for a few days and promised to look for any survivors, but they were not able to keep us, much less send any forces to push the orcs out. The same happened when we tried to find help at Mirkwood."

Thorin raised his hand to stop the older hobbit's speech. There was no way he would turn them away, not when they were experiencing something similar to what his people had. "Your asylum is granted." he said, "You will be allowed to stay for however long you need. We will work out further details after you have all been seen by our healers."

He could hear the sighs of relief as he spoke, but his gaze was locked on Bilbo. He too was relieved, but he could see the fear that still haunted his gaze. Thorin would have to visit the infirmary and see if he could speak with him. Out of the entire group, it was Bilbo who could give them the most information at the very least. And he wanted to make sure that he was truly alright, he doubted that their burglar had gotten away from the orcs without a scratch.

The hobbits were dismissed, with the promise that Thorin would come see Gerontius later in the day to further discuss the asylum. The king would have to figure out how many hobbits there were and find places for all of them. They would also have to find some way to earn a living while in the mountain. While Thorin would do his best to keep them healthy and happy while they were here, he knew from personal experience how much people could hate handouts. 

It wasn't until darkness had completely enveloped the mountain that Thorin found time to visit the hobbits in the mountain. Oin had visited him a few hours ago, telling him of the condition the hobbits were in. Like he had noticed earlier, all of the adults were underweight and had injuries from both the attack on the Shire and from their journey. One hobbit had spoken about how he had been forced to fight an orc with only a shovel in hand, while another said that she had only escaped because an orc thought her dead after throwing her into wall. But most spoke of Bilbo, who had rushed in to save them from their fates.

Apparently Bilbo had the worst of the injuries, though it was obvious some forms of treatment had taken place. The hobbit's deeper wounds had been cleaned and stitched up and his head had been wrapped from a previous injury, though Oin had to change it since it hadn't been touched since Rivendell. But he had only been worried about the children- faunts, as he had told Oin- and what ailed them. Bilbo had actually refused treatment until everyone else had been looked over and even then would only let the healers look at his wounds when they gave him his nephew. 

Thorin stepped into the infirmary, looking over all the patients within. They already looked better, having gain a little color after warming up and being fed. Most were sleeping, but Thorin could see Bilbo and his grandfather speaking in a corner, a piece of paper between them. It was his burglar who noticed him first and waved him over, quickly gaining the attention of old Gerontius.

"Master Oakenshield." they both said, giving small bows to the king.

"Master Baggins, Master Took." he said, taking a seat with them, "May I ask what you are looking over?"

"A list of who we have." Bilbo said, frowning softly at the page, "Again, we were lucky to escape with so many, but compared to our numbers before..."

"Would you like to see it?" Gerontius asked, passing it over when Thorin nodded.

Thorin read through it quickly, the names meaning nothing at the moment. But he kept a tally in his head. He frowned at the numbers next to the names, noticing many were underage. "May you please explain who is with who?" he asked, "I would like to keep as many families together as I can manage."

  
Bilbo nodded, speaking up as his grandfather began to group together the names on the list. "There are few complete families here, but we can figure out who is related to who." he said, "For my family, I only have my nephew, Frodo, but I suspect that may change at a later date. My grandfather has his wife, Adamanta. There are the Gamgees, who consist of Hamfast and his wife Bell, who have six children together. They consist of Hamson, Halfred, Daisy, May, Samwise, and Marigold. There is Basina Hayward and her three daughters, Scarlet, Sestiva, and Salvia. There is Clovis and Mirabella Boffin and their children,Gabrielle, Merobaudes, Alaric, Otton, and Estella. Peony Bottomhill came with her children Hartmut, Remacle and Roslyn. There is Lull and Basso Lightfoot, I suspect that they will take on a few of the orphans in the mix. They make up the rest of the bunch. There's Poppo and Saffron Farfoot and my cousins, Pippin, Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca Took. There's also Merry Brandybuck, Radigis Greenhand, Berylla and Bavo Littlefoot, and Griffo, Falco, and Bearo Roper."

Thorin could barely keep up, surprised at how easily Bilbo managed to find everyone he named and know how they were related. "Together, I believe only twelve of us are considered adults, since Hartmut just came of age." Bilbo added, eyes misting a little as he obvious thought of all who weren't here, "If we did the math right, there should be thirty faunts."

"Thirty?" he asked, surprised that they had made it with so many children, "And of them, how many are without a parent or guardian?"

"Thirteen." Bilbo said, frowning, "Though we got a letter from Rivendell while we were in Mirkwood. They found more hobbits wandering around their woods and should be sending them our way, but they didn't specify an amount."

"They will be welcomed into the mountain as well." Thorin said, "I will send a raven to see when they will begin their journey to Erebor. I could, at the very least, send an envoy to accompany them from Mirkwood."

"That would be most appreciated." Bilbo said, Gerontius echoing his sentiment a moment later.

Thorin eyed Bilbo for a moment before speaking once more. "May we talk, Master Baggins?" he asked, "I have many questions and I fear you are the only one with the answers."

"Of course." he said, though Thorin could see the apprehension in his eyes, "That is, if you don't need any more help grandfather?"

Gerontius shook his head. "I've got this handled." he said, barely glancing up at them, "Just... Don't take too long. Your grandmother and Frodo will panic if they wake and see you are not here."

"We will be just in the hall." Thorin said to him, knowing they were empty this time of night, "And I shall not take long with my questions. If I find that a more involved answer is required, I can visit again to gather them."

Again, Gerontius nodded and the two headed out in the hall.

* * *

 

After so many years apart, Bilbo had known things would have changed in the mountain. He could tell the moment they approached the gates, everything that had once been broken was fixed. It was as if the dragon was never there.

And his friends... He had saw Dwalin first, but he doubted the dwarf had seen him. He had changed so much, yet he was still the same dwarf from their journey. He could see more tattoos had adorned his body, but he couldn't decipher what they were from his vantage point. And he looked so much healthier than he had on their journey. But he still spoke in that gruff voice that both terrified and comforted Bilbo at the same time and, when he did notice Bilbo, he was ready to charge into battle after learning of what had happened. He couldn't help but smile; he had truly missed his dwarves.

But when he saw Thorin... His heart had practically dropped. No longer could he be passed over as a common dwarf, not when he was dressed in the colors and gems of his line. He had aged well, the only thing that let his true age show being a few streaks of gray in his hair. Bilbo knew that Thorin had seen him instantly and he feared what he would say. He knew the king had forgiven him, but that had been on his death bed. If he had not been truthful and still considered Bilbo a traitor...

That hadn't come true though, Thorin quickly granting them asylum and sending them to the infirmary to treat their wounds. And now he was here, trying to figure out how to best help them. Wanting to talk to the hobbit that was once his burglar and friend.

It terrified him, walking into the hall. Maybe he hadn't wanted to start a scene in front of everyone. Maybe he hadn't meant his words at all and planned to send them away now that he could see they wouldn't drop dead of their wounds. He flinched when Thorin laid a hand upon his shoulder and felt his heart break at the look in the king's eyes.

"I'm sorry!" he said, taking a step back, "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!"

"It is I who should be apologizing." Thorin said, taking back his hand, "I gave you every right to fear me. I should not have expected you to act like nothing happened."

Bilbo sighed and looked to his feet. "Did you mean what you said?" he asked quietly, "When we were on the battlefield?"

"Every last word." Thorin said, "Did you mean what you said?"

"Of course I did." he said, finding the courage to look up once more, "I just... Give me some time Thorin. It has been ten years, but I have not seen you since that day. I need to know what happened on the battlements won't happen again."

He immediately regretted the words, seeing anger flare up in Thorin's eyes. His eyes looked anywhere but, afraid he had just ruined the one hope of safety they had. He didn't notice Thorin calming down or the sad look in his eyes a moment later. "You have nothing to fear here, I will prove it to you." he said, "And I would like to discuss that further, but I know we have little time to talk. I need to know what happened in the Shire and if they have followed you here."

"Of course, my king." he said, relieved that they wouldn't be cast out the gates for his foolish words, "Again, the Brandywine froze and without it, we were left open to attacks. It started small, with only the wolves daring to cross. We set up a curfew for all hobbits, making sure we were safe in our smials during the nights.We could have survived the winter if that was all there was... But the orcs... They came without warning in the middle of the night, when most of us were asleep. We had no time to react, all we could do was grab our loved ones and hope we could get away. Most did not, as you can see."

Here, he paused to regain his composure. "The Gamgees and I were neighbors and we heard the fighting before it descended onto our homes. We gathered what little supplies we could and ran for our lives. I had Sting on me, but I also had Frodo and I couldn't risk fighting with him... Not that I would have stood a chance, there were simply too many. As we ran, we found so many bodies... I never expected to find anyone alive, but we found the Farfoot children not far from their parents' bodies. I nearly cried at the sight of them. And, when we reached the markets, they had just killed Master Hayward and were about to kill his wife and daughters..."

"Oin spoke with the wife, I believe." Thorin interupted, "She said that it was you that saved them."

Bilbo nodded. "I barely even thought about it." he admitted, "I handed Frodo and the Farfoots to the Gamgees and rushed into the fray. I barely remember any of the fight, except hearing the girls screaming. There were three orcs and more were coming. We disappeared into the bushes before they could see us. From there, we grabbed what we could to defend ourselves. When we found the Boffins, Clovis was trying to fight the orcs off with a rake. It was Hamfast and I who rushed into the fray to help him. We had barely fought off the orcs attacking them when we heard screams from down the road. The Bottomhills faked their deaths and the orcs fell for it, thankfully. Poor Peony couldn't walk, they had thrown her so hard. And the Lightfoots only had a shovel and a rolling pin, weren't doing much to the orcs either. We found most of the children hiding in the bushes just outside the forest when we fled."

"You said the elves found more hobbits, correct?"

"They said that they did, but they didn't give much detail." Bilbo confirmed, "I know the elves of Rivendell wanted to help, but most of their soldiers were injured and exhausted after spending weeks fighting off the orcs. They had to sneak us out, as the orcs who had attacked the Shire followed us... We believe that they still are after us, Bard received word from Mirkwood the day we arrived telling of orcs. They managed to get close enough to hear them talk about halflings..."

"That is what I need to know." Thorin said, "I will have to increase the security around the mountain. If what you say is true, they will be upon Dale within days and attack Erebor not much later... You go back in and rest. I will handle the situation.... And I'm sure you will have many visitors tomorrow."

Bilbo nodded and bowed. "Thank you, your majesty." he said.

"Please, just call me Thorin." he said, "It is wrong to hear a friend refer to me like that in private."

"Of course, Thorin." he said, a small smile on his face, "Again, thank you for this. I would not have brought them this far if I thought we had another choice."

"And again, your kind will always be welcomed in this mountain." he said, "Good night Bilbo."

"Good night Thorin."


	2. More Questions than Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the second day dawns on the hobbits, they begin to settle into life in Erebor, as well as search for answers to the questions they've had since fleeing the Shire. Sadly, a lot come with answers that offer little information or no answers at all. They also find the orcs are not ready to give up whatever they're after.

The morning after the arrival of the hobbits was hectic. Bilbo had woken up under a pile of sleeping faunts, which normally wasn't a problem. But the Ri brothers had come by to see him and it was near impossible to dislodge himself with waking them up. He had been talking with Ori to catch up on all that had happened during his time away when Frodo had woken up screaming. Then, when he got Frodo to calm down from whatever nightmare plagued him, Merry and Pippin had come to him asking for breakfast. Before he knew it, he had all the younger faunts at his feet, asking for first breakfast. Thankfully, Dori had taken it upon himself to help with the little ones and took him to the kitchens to get them some food while Nori and Ori stayed behind to keep them entertained. 

Once they had the faunts fed, he had been pulled aside by Gerontius and Adamanta to discuss their plans from here. They were worried and understandably so. With orcs on their tail and having to trust their lives with people they knew nothing of, he couldn't blame them for their worries. It did get tiresome, having to repeatedly tell them that they were safe within the mountain and, as long as they respected their culture, they would be fine. And that had led to him having to explain the basics of dwarven culture, thankfully with the Ri's adding something to their conversation that he missed.

Then he had been all but kidnapped by the princes, who were excited to show their hobbit the mountain. That had only resulted in Frodo panicking, afraid that Bilbo wouldn't come back. He felt terrible for the ten-year-old, having lost his parents two years ago and when he finally began to relax at Bag's End, they were forced to run for their lives because of orcs. He had only calmed down once Kìli offered to let the faunt go with them and ride on his shoulders. 

And finally, just as Fìli was showing Bilbo where the library was while Kìli was telling Frodo one of the dwarvish fairy tails, a horn had gone off. Both boys had frozen at the sound for a moment before rushing the hobbits back to the infirmary. They had given no explanation, only telling them to stay here and to not open the door until either they or one of the company had returned. All of them had gathered in a corner, the younger children whimpering and crying while the older ones did their best to keep them calm. The adults were gathered around them, acting as a living barrier.

No one came for them for another hour, but they could all hear the screaming from outside. All of them recognized the sounds of orcs attacking and they couldn't help but send terrified looks at each other. Why had they followed them so far? What exactly did they want from them? The orcs had their home in their control, had all the food they had harvested for the winter, and had nearly wiped hobbits from existence. Were they that determined to kill them all?

As the screams tampered off, Hamfast moved to the window. His sigh of relief put all the others at ease. 

"It looks like the dwarves ran them off." he said, rejoining their little group, "From what I saw though, there weren't many orcs to begin with. Nowhere near as many as we saw in the Shire."

"Maybe they had left most of them back in the Shire." Basina chimed in, "In case we tried to go back?"

"That doesn't make any sense." Bilbo said, "The orcs were on our tail the entire time, practically knew where we were every moment of the day. They would have known if we had tried to go back... But they had so much time to send a message back to the others and let them know where we were. Why didn't they get reinforcements?"

"Maybe they thought the dwarves would just hand us over." Clovis said.

The door opened then, startling the hobbits. Each of them grabbed whatever they could to defend themselves, even though they knew the orcs had run off for the moment. To the dwarves, they looked ridiculous, brandishing candlesticks like they were weapons. It was Fìli who spoke, motioning for them to put their weapons down.

"It's alright, my friends." he said, sounding every bit of the prince he was, "The threat has passed and you are safe. The orcs stood little chance at defeating us or getting through our gates." Embarrassed, they lowered the items. Fìli just chuckled. "We will have to see about getting you some actual weapons. We can't have you all grabbing random objects to go fight orcs off with."

"Hobbits find little reason for fighting." Gerontius said, looking every bit as old as he was, "But now, I fear we have no other choice."

"We have no way to acquire weapons though." Mirabella said, "Every last coin we had was either left in the Shire or spent trying to get here. We couldn't afford a simple wooden sword from a toy-maker, much less one made by a dwarf with metal."

"Maybe not this moment." Hamfast said, speaking before Fìli could reassure them, "But spring will be upon us soon. Hartmut, Clovis, and I could go work in the fields to earn some coins."

"And Bell and I could see if there would be a tailor interested in some helping hands." Basina said, sounding a little more helpful.

"I could see about working in the kitchens!" Lull volunteered while his husband began to speak about the possibility of working as a woodworker.

"But Bilbo didn't take all of his treasure." Kìli said once the excitement died down, "Wouldn't you rather use that Mr. Boggins?"

The other hobbits all looked to Bilbo, who had completely forgotten about the treasure. "Didn't I give my share to the men of Dale and the elves of Mirkwood?" he asked.

"Uncle wouldn't hear of it." Kìli said, "He split his portion of the treasure to honor your deal. He's more than made it up by now. But yours has been sitting here since you left."

"We will use it sparingly." Gerontius said before anyone could get any ideas, "It is Bilbo's treasure and, while I know he would never deny us help during these times, we still need to earn our keep."

"We can have a chest brought down later." Fìli said, "And, if you're interested, I know the Ur's are heading to the market tomorrow. Maybe some of you could tag along?"

They all looked to Bilbo, knowing that it was his decision. "If they don't mind, then I don't see why not." he said, "But we're going to have to make more than one trip. All of us need a weapon, but we can't exactly take everyone with us... Not with so many faunts to keep an eye on."

He could hear young Gabrielle snort behind him. "I can watch the little ones Master Baggins." she said, "I'm only a few years away from my majority. Scarlet and Hamson can help me, we've all watched our own siblings enough to handle them."

"Gabrielle, watching four little ones is a lot different than watching twenty seven." Mirabella said, "Even with two others to help you..."

"I can handle it mom." she said, Scarlet and Hamson nodding in agreement.

"If it makes you feel better Ma'am, we can find a dwarf to watch them as well." Fìli added.

"You can trust them Mira." Bilbo said, giving her a reassuring smile, "There is few things dwarves love more than their metals and gems, but children are one. No one would dare touch a hair on their heads and they would do anything to keep them safe."

She looked conflicted, as did the other mothers. It took a moment for her to agree, but she knew that this was for the best. They needed something they could defend themselves with and they would need supplies for when they left the infirmary. They had to go down to the markets.

"Did Thorin say where he would be putting us?" Bilbo asked, knowing that everyone was eager to get out of the infirmary.

"For now, you'll be put into housing with the miners and their families." Fìli answered, "Even after all these years, not everyone has returned. But he wants to move you again before summer, we should be getting another caravan of miners from the Blue Mountains then."

"We're working on some new homes closer to the markets." Kìli added, "That's probably where you'll end up until we can figure out how to get your home back."

"If there's anything to return to." Clovis muttered under his breath. 

Bilbo smiled and Gerontius gave Clovis a soft kick as a reprimand. "Thank you, for everything." he said.

"Of course, Master Boggins." Kìli said, "I'm sorry that our tour got cut off early. Maybe we could resume it another day?"

"I would be honored." he replied, "And I'm sure Frodo would love to see you again."

"Please?" the little boy asked, speaking for the first time since the horn went off, "I really wanted to hear the rest of the story."

"Of course, little Master Boggins." he said, getting a smile out the lad before turning his attention back to Bilbo, "I fear we must get going, after an attack like this we've got to report to Uncle Thorin. He'll probably be by to visit you this evening."

"Was it bad?" Hamfast asked, "When I looked out, they were fleeing, but there wasn't nearly as many as there had been in the Shire."

Fìli and Kìli frowned at this. "They didn't stand a chance against us." Fìli said, "But I wouldn't be surprised if they came back with more numbers. With how harsh this winter has been, they must be desperate for food."

All of the adult hobbits looked at one another, knowing that they were hiding something. They all knew that the Mirkwood elves had heard the orcs talking about them. Bilbo knew he would have to ask Thorin about it when he visited later.

  
With that, the princes gave their goodbyes and left, leaving them to their worries once more. They all knew the orcs wouldn't stop until they got their hands on them, but none of them knew why... But one could guess a reason and it rested innocently with his pocket.

* * *

 

When Thorin visited again that night, he could tell that the hobbits were on edge. Bilbo had been perched by the door, sharpening Sting as if he was waiting for an attack. Gerontius was sitting off to the side with the rest of the men, all who nearly jumped out of their seats upon the king's arrival. The women were seated across the room, preparing for their trip to the market the next day. They all gave him wary glances at first, but relaxed when Bilbo put his sword away. Thankfully, the children were all asleep.

"Good evening, my king." Bilbo said, bowing slightly. The other hobbits copied the gesture.

"Good evening, Master Baggins." he replied, "I hope you and your kin are all faring well here?"

"We are fairing as well as we can be." he said, "There's plans to go to the market tomorrow to arm ourselves, though we'll be picking up other supplies as well."

"I assume my nephews filled you in on the incident earlier." he asked, growing wary when all the hobbits looked to one another, "They did tell you what happened, correct."

"I believe they told us as much as they could without panicking the faunts." Gerontius answered, "They told us the orcs never stood a chance and there was a chance they would return, but we were told that they were attacking for food."

Thorin nodded. "We didn't learn much from them." he said, "All of my guards who managed to overhear their conversations only heard black speech... But they gave us an offer before the fighting broke out..."

"They were still looking for us, weren't they?" Peony stated more than asked.

"They told us if we handed you over there would be no dwarf blood shed." he confirmed.

"But what do they want with us?" Clovis asked, frustrated, "They chased us all winter long, they knew we didn't have food. And none of us have anything worth of value... Unless they are hunting us for sport?"

"Why would they do that?" Basso asked, "If they wanted to kill us, why not wait until we're out in the open again? Or until they had more reinforcements? We know that there were a lot more orcs that raided the Shire than the ones who attacked today..."

"I'm afraid we don't have those answers." Thorin said, "But rest assured that they will not be able to reach you in this mountain. I'm afraid that, if you do decide to leave anytime soon, it will not be without an armed escort to and from wherever you head."

They grumbled at that, not used to this type of threat. They were normally protected by the natural barriers around the Shire and no hobbit had ever been threatened by another like this. It felt wrong, they should all have been safe in the smials waiting for spring, not locked in a mountain hiding from orcs.

Thankfully, Adamanta broke the silence. "Your nephews spoke of us moving in with the miners as well." she said, wanting to distract everyone from the threat at hand, "But they said it would not be for long."

"Even after ten years, we are still doing repairs to the mountain." Thorin said, "Many of the areas where dwarves lived were destroyed by Smaug, along with our mines and forges. Normally, you would be up near the kitchens, where our visitors reside, but the area is still unusable as we have been focused on areas that would accommodate everyday use. The mining housing is currently the only area we have to put additional people. But the rest of our miners should be arriving on the next caravan, so we can't put you there permanently."

"How long do you think we will be here?" Bilbo asked, "Not that we aren't thankful for the housing you are giving us, but the Shire is our home. We can't ask you to keep us until the orcs grow bored and move on."

Thorin went silent at that. "I am unclear on when I could send an army to handle the orc invasion." he said, "With how many attacks have been happening here and among the other kingdoms, it might be years before anyone can risk the manpower to clear the Shire."

Clovis went to speak, a spark of rage in his eyes, but Hamfast quickly slapped his hand over his mouth. "Thank you for being honest." Bilbo said, though he was disheartened at the news like everyone else, "Reclaiming the Shire would be useless if it only caused you to lose your home. It doesn't make since for us to do so at the moment anyway, with how few of us there are. But we will do our best to earn our keep here, I promise you that."

"We will try to help you regain your home again as soon as possible." he said, "After all you did to help us reclaim ours, it would be a crime to not help you. And do not worry about earning your keep. My dwarves know of your plight and you still have your treasure to keep you afloat. Give yourself time to recover from your journey. It would do you no good to push yourself too hard."

"We will keep that in mind." Bilbo said, though he knew they all would disregard it.

"I hope you do." he said before addressing all the hobbits, "We will move whatever belongings you have to your new housing while you are away at the markets. The Ur family will show you there afterwards. Your children will be there when you return with their sitters."

"Thank you, your majesty." they all said in unison, bowing to him.

He nodded and left the room, wishing he could do more. He knew what it was like to have your home taken from you and he never would have wished the feeling on anyone, much less the hobbits. There had to be a way...


	3. The Ring Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending over a month in Erebor, the other hobbits arrive from Rivendell. Bilbo finds that he can't keep a secret no longer and goes to Thorin for help.

Life in Erebor was nothing like living in the Shire, but they were slowly growing used to their new home. The hobbits had managed to scrape up some weapons, though they had no clue how to use them. Bilbo was still chuckling at the image of his grandfather trying to wield an axe meant for a dwarf twice his size. For the most part, they stuck to small swords or bows, finding the weapons easier to wield than traditional dwarvish weapons.

They had also gathered the things they would need not only to make their own lives easier, but to help them make a living in the mountain. Bell and Basina had grabbed plenty of cloth and thread, hoping to replace their torn attire and sell what they could. Hamfast had found some seeds, pots, and soil. He hoped to start a small garden within their quarters that could feed them. And Bilbo grabbed some simple items he planned to turn into simple toys for their faunts.

Settling in to their new quarters took some time. The area was almost barren, the main living quarters only containing a small kitchen and an old, rickety table with similar chairs. The children had already been settled when they had arrived, crawling over Dwalin and Gloin while their older siblings had tried to tidy up a little.  
The children rushed straight to them when they saw them, rambling about how much fun they had had and how much they wished that they could play with the dwarves again. They hadn't calm down until both dwarves promised to visit again, Gloin with his son if he could rangle him up. Bilbo had smiled at that, feeling much more relaxed in the mountain now that he knew his kin wouldn't be harmed because of the past.

In fact, the dwarves came to visit often during the first few weeks during their stay. Bilbo saw at least one of the Ri brothers each day, often it being Ori. The two would exchange stories and just talk, if they hadn't been roped into telling the children about their adventures. Dori often came by as well and had become a close friend to Peony Bottomhill and her children. Bilbo doubted it was anything romantic, the dwarf having made it clear he had no interest in marriage and such while Peony was mourning the loss of her husband, but it wasn't odd to see the two in Dori's tea shop together.

Dwalin was another familiar face, as it was him who had been tasked with teaching the hobbits defense. Despite his tough exterior, he was a surprisingly good teacher. Without a deadline ahead of him or with orcs chasing behind, the dwarf was much more relaxed and took the time to show them proper techniques. Slowly, the hobbits were becoming more comfortable holding a weapon and more confident than they had been in quite some time.

The Urs were over quite a lot, often with the princes on their heels. They brought toys and treats for the little ones, often playing with the lot to give the adults some much needed quiet time. Bofur often found time to talk to Bilbo by themselves, only wanting to catch up. Sometimes they would talk, remembering their adventure with an exasperation and a fondness that they could never shake. Other times, they simply sat in silence, Bofur acting like a pillar of stability when Bilbo got overwhelmed by it all. 

Thorin tried to come by often as well and the hobbit noticed how his gaze always went to him. He knew the dwarf was trying, but part of him... Part of him was still deathly afraid of the king. He knew how quickly the king could change and, without knowing the fate of the Arkenstone, Bilbo feared he could fall to the sickness that once clouded his mind many years ago. It was an even bigger fear now, as it wasn't just his life at stake. If he fell again, all his kin could pay for the actions he took before the battle, and even though all he wanted to do was forgive the dwarf and move on, he found he couldn't.

And now, standing at the gates with Thorin and the other hobbits, he couldn't help but feel even more worried.

The survivors the elves had found were arriving today and he couldn't help but feel like they were escaping one danger in exchange for another. The only thing that calmed him was the feeling of grass under his feet, now that spring had come to the mountain once more. He could pretend he was in the Shire, waiting for his guests in the front lawn. The illusion was only broken when he heard the guards announcing their arrival.

The group of hobbits only approached with one wagon, but he didn't care. At least more of his neighbors had survived. At least they weren't dead.

As soon as the survivors spotted them, they began to tear up. There was no doubt in their minds that they had believed themselves the only survivors like they had. Leading the group was Timothy and Birinus Hedgehopper, followed by the Silverstring twins, Cedric and Branch. Bringing up the rear was Bodo Silentfoot and Malaric Oldbuck. 

Then the others began to hope out of the wagon. Athalia Longriver, Bodo's intended, came out first with Robin Hedgehopper on her hip. Sierra Oldbuck came following after her aunt Itta Leafwalker and her cousins, Celendine, Brooke, and Atacinus. Finally came the Knotwise sisters, Esmeralda and Tatiana, the former with her daughter, Pandora, in her arms.

They all came rushing forward, enveloping their lost kin in hugs and peppering their faces with kisses. It was unexpected, as their families had never truly been close when in the Shire, but these were different times. Everything that separated them before were gone and all they had left was each other to lean on. So Bilbo didn't fight the hug he got from Timothy, the Gamgees held Itta close, and the Silverstings leapt straight into Lull's arms.

After they regained their composure, they were rushed into the mountain in case the orcs were watching. Ever since the first attack, the orcs had been slowly growing in numbers. At least once a week, the horn would blow and the hobbits would lock themselves away while the dwarves fought. They had become better with their weapons and almost all of them wanted a chance to fight back against the orcs, but it had quickly become clear that they would not be on the battlefield. 

Bilbo had managed to convince Thorin and the others to let him join the fight. He had the most experience out of all the hobbits and had fought orcs before. They had been reluctant, but eventually agreed. So, when the horn blared for the third time since their arrival, Bilbo had marched out with the dwarves to fight.

It was clear that Bilbo could handle himself. He fought hard and Dwalin's lessons had obviously paid off. It was toward the end of the battle when the hobbit slipped up and was grabbed by one of the orcs. In the orc's grasp, the hobbit could only brace for the pain he knew was coming. But none came. Instead, the orc called out to the others and tried to run off with him. It was only because of a well placed arrow from Erebor's youngest prince that he was able to escape. 

Thorin had immediately declared that he wouldn't be involved with the fights anymore. Bilbo hadn't tried to argue, finding himself too shaken to put up a fight. He had almost been kidnapped by the orcs and, if he hadn't got away, there was no doubt in his mind he would have been dead before anyone found him. And if that hadn't been enough, the ring had been whispering to let it happen.

The hobbit hadn't heard it often, having found that it was loudest when his magic ring was on his person. He had tried to keep it locked away in Bag's End, but it had called to him during the attack. It had encouraged him to give it to the orcs, promised that if he gave up the rest of the Shire would be spared. It had been tempting, but he refused. He knew how orcs worked and they wouldn't stop once they had their prize. So he had grabbed it and ran off with Frodo, gathering what little survivors he could along the way.

It had gone quiet during their journey, though it would speak when it thought the hobbits wouldn't be able to escape their pursuers. At Erebor, the ring haunted his dreams. He had tried to lock it away, but it always ended up back in his pocket. At first, it had tried to bribe him with power and wealth beyond his imagination. When it became clear that Bilbo would not give in, it told him horrible things, building on the fears and insecurities he had. It spoke of how the dwarves would turn on them and how they would make him watch as they killed his kin one by one. How this was all his fault and how many hobbits would have survived if he had just given up when it had told him to. It was getting harder and harder with each day to convince himself the ring was whispering lies in his ears. 

So, as they entered the mountain once more, Bilbo made his decision. He couldn't keep his ring a secret anymore. The ring he had grown so possessive over was destroying him and he needed to be rid of it before it succeeded. He walked up to Thorin, pushing down his fear. 

"Your majesty?" he asked, knowing they were in public.

"Yes, Master Baggins?" he said.

"I need to speak to you about something." he said, "Alone, perferably. It's... It's about the orcs. I think I know why they hunt us so."

Thorin nodded. "Is tonight a good time to meet?" he asked.

"Of course." he said, "But... I don't think this is a conversation we need to have in front of the others. They know nothing about this and I've... It's complicated."

"I'll send for you then." he said, "Enjoy your reunion for now. I will see you tonight."

Bilbo nodded and put his hand into his pocket. He kept the ring clenched in his hand, hoping that the dwarf would know what to do.

* * *

  
Thorin waited patiently in his chambers, knowing that this must be important if Bilbo wanted to be alone. He had noticed how the hobbit had hidden from him, only speaking to him when his family was nearby. He knew it was his fault the hobbit had such fear of him, but he had hoped that it would have lessened a little by now.

He was pulled from his thoughts as his door opened, revealing Bilbo. The dwarf king was worried for him, as he was looking more disheveled with each passing day while his kin showed some signs of improvement. He approached him slowly, not wanting to appear threatening.

Bilbo still flinched, but quickly recovered his composure. "Good evening Thorin." he said, "I'm sorry if this is any inconvenience to you."

"You are never an inconvenience, Bilbo." he said, "Especially if you think you have an answer to these attacks."

"I've had an inkling of it since the night the Shire was attacked." he admitted, "I heard it speaking then, but I knew I had to keep it away from them... And it spoke when we came here, trying to tempt me with things, but I refused to give in. It continues to speak to me, but now... I'm afraid it's going to destroy me Thorin. It keeps telling me to give up and go to the orcs, that everything I love will be spared if I simply sacrifice myself..."

Thorin's eyes grew wide as Bilbo spoke, unsure of what he spoke of but knowing he wouldn't lie about something like this. "What is this thing you speak of?" he asked.

The hobbit took a deep breath and reached into his pocket. He shook as he took out the object, revealing a golden ring. Thorin took a step back, the object giving off an aura of darkness that sent a shiver down his spine. "Where did you find this?" he asked, eyes never leaving the ring.

"I found it while we were separated in Goblin Town." he said, his shaking growing more violent, "I don't know what made me pick it up... And there was this creature there, Gollum I think his name was. We traded riddles and it tried to kill me when I beat it. It knew I had the ring somehow, wanted it back... Kept calling it his precious."

"Give it here." he said, reaching for it.

Bilbo immediately closed his hand. "I have to know that you know what to do with it." he said, "I can't give it to you if it's going to drive you to sickness once more."

The king froze, eyeing the hobbit. "I'll have it put with the Arkenstone." he said, "Deep in the mountain, where no one can find it but a few trusted dwarves."

"It won't work!" Bilbo said, growing more hysteric as they talked. The ring... It was doing something to him.

"Why not?" Thorin asked.

"It always comes back!" he said, his shaking increasing as tears started to form in his eyes, "I keep locking it away, but it always ends up back in my pocket! I never take it out, no, no! But it still comes back!"

"Breath Bilbo." he said, wanting to calm him down, "It'll be alright. We'll handle this, I promise..."

Slowly, he approached Bilbo. The hobbit was clearly distressed and he could only imagine what something with that dark an aura was doing to him. "Let me take it and at least try to lock it away." he said softly, "We'll find a way to get rid of it, someone must know. Maybe Gandalf..."

"Gandalf..." Bilbo said, his voice shaking, "It doesn't like Gandalf! He must know! He must!"

"Then I will send a raven for him." he said, "Now, please hand it over. You can't keep doing this, it's hurting you. Trust me, just this once. I promise to not let you down."

Thorin held out his hand and Bilbo stared at it. He could only wonder what was going through his mind right now, what that... _thing_ was telling him. It was a relief when Bilbo slowly held out his own, dropping the ring into Thorin's.

"I'll take care of it." he said softly, putting it into his own pocket "It is no longer your concern. I will have Balin take it to the chambers tonight." 

The hobbit nodded, still shaking violently. Thorin approached him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinched violently, but slowly relaxed as he realized he wasn't being harmed. "Thank you for trusting me with this information." he said, "Let me walk you to your chambers. May you rest easy without this on your mind."  
Again, the hobbit nodded and let himself be led out of the room. On the way out, he sent a guard to retrieve his raven. He had to contact Gandalf at once, he couldn't risk keeping the ring in the mountain for long. He only hoped that the wizard would be quick. If the ring somehow came into Bilbo's possession again, he doubted the hobbit would be strong enough to fight it.


	4. The Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night Thorin is given the ring, he takes action to make sure himself, his dwarves, and Bilbo cannot reach it. The day after, Bilbo sees if the ring came back. Also, little Frodo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry if this is rushed. I literally just started a job Tuesday and haven't had the time to pump this out. I hope you enjoy.

Thorin found in hard to sleep after his talk with Bilbo. After walking the hobbit back to his rooms, he found his gaze settled on the ring that he had been given. He couldn't hear a voice like Bilbo had, but he could feel the dark energy that surrounded the golden piece of jewelry. He didn't doubt a word that he had been told, but Bilbo had had the ring for ten years... And, if he understood correctly, it hadn't started talking to him with such venom until his entire world fell apart.

So, he concluded that the ring began to exercise it's influence completely when it's carrier was at his or her lowest point and continued to degrade them until they gave into it's lies. And Bilbo, no matter how strong he and the others thought him to be, had fallen to the ring's trap. The king shivered as he imagined what would have happened if Bilbo hadn't trusted him with such an object. If it had stayed on his person much longer...

He growled at the object and went straight to Balin, asking him to lock the ring away with the Arkenstone for now. When he had been asked why he wanted a simple ring put with the King's Gem, he had been as vague as he could have been. The hobbit had offered more information about the ring as they walked back to the hobbit's quarters, telling of the invisibility it had granted him and how often the ring had spoken to him. He did not want it to fall into the hands of one of his dwarves, fearing that they may be more influenced by the ring due to their proclivity to gold sickness.

But his mind was solely focused on it's victim and what it had told him. Bilbo claimed that he first heard it speak on his way back from the Lonely Mountain, speaking ill of the dwarves on the quest and telling him how easy it would be for him to get all their allies to turn on them. He hadn't listened, of course, for even when his heart was broken his love for his companions had never turned into hate. He had understood why no one had stood up for him that day on the battlements and he understood that Thorin had been sick when it all happened. But he had simply brushed the words off as intrusive thoughts.

The ring had spoken little during his time in the Shire at first, the hobbit having locked it away at first in fear that his relations would try to steal it. Over time, he had grown so paranoid about it being taken that he kept it on his person for a little over a year. It's voice had been softer then, telling him how he didn't deserve to be shunned for leaving and how they all knew that he had it. The ring had kept him awake most nights, making him fear that any and all of his visitors would try to take it from him.

He hadn't realized the effect it had on him until he gained custody of Frodo. The faunt had brought Bag End back to life, and with it, Bilbo as well. He had locked the ring away once more when it had tried to convince him to rid of the boy, declaring him a thief looking to steal the ring. And it hadn't truly bothered him, unless he got too close to it's prison. He did his best to keep Frodo away, afraid of the effects it might have on the faunt. 

The king had to admire the hobbit's strength. If the ring had any kind of hold like the Arkenstone had over him, then it must have been a hard fought battle to not only lock it away, but to give it to someone he did not fully trust as well. Hopefully, without the object on his person, Bilbo would start to recover like his kin were. It was all up to Thorin now to take care of the ring.

With that on his mind, he turned himself to the aviary. All of Erebor's ravens stayed there, though personal ravens typically stuck with their master. His raven had always preferred to stay here, though there were times when Dusk would be his shadow. The raven immediately descended upon the king, expectantly awaiting his message.

"Find the wizard, Gandalf." he said, "Inform him of the hobbits' plight and tell him he his needed urgently at the mountain. If he asks why, tell him that it must be discussed in private. I do not want any word of... whatever this is reaching the ears of those who would use it against our kingdom... Or any other, for that matter."

The raven nodded and disappeared into the night, leaving Thorin with nothing to do but wait for the wizard and try to help Bilbo recover. Knowing that the ring had been playing on Bilbo's fear of him and the other dwarves, he knew that he had to repair their relationship quickly. He would not let anyone, let it be a magic ring, an elf, a dwarf, or a man, put fear of him into the hobbit's heart.

But it was too late to help him overcome his fears right now. That was a challenge for the morning.

* * *

The morning after his conversation with Thorin was the first time Bilbo had awoken completely rested and long after the other hobbits had left to start their days. He had not woken after anyone since they began their journey, being their only defender and then having the ring keep him up all night with it's words. He basked in the warmth of his blanket, simply enjoying the lie in. Why he was sleeping so peacefully didn't occur to him until a few moments later.

"The ring!" he shouted, panicked as he sat up in his cot. He looked around, but could not see the cursed object anywhere. The hobbit searched everywhere, having grown used to the ring returning every time he tried to rid himself of it. But it was nowhere to be found, not within his quarters.

When he had finally gave up the search, he had gone over every hiding space in the room at least three times. He sat on the couch listlessly, coming to terms that the ring hadn't come back. He had trusted Thorin and it had paid off... The ring hadn't returned to his person.

Quietly, Bilbo began to chuckle. It slowly turned into full out laughter as he began to cry before becoming heavy sobs. It was gone, hidden away in a place where it could not return to him. He was free of it's false promises. cruel words, and terrifying threats... He was _free!_

* * *

Frodo was confused when he heard his uncle laughing from the bedroom and grew worried when the laughter turned into sobs. He was young, barely ten years old, but he knew that his uncle was not supposed to make those sounds like that. He glanced around, debating if he should leave his place at the table to check on him.

He didn't want to move, not since Mr. Hamfast and Mr. Clovis told him to leave his uncle to his rest. They had told him not to leave the chambers until he was awake and to only bother him if he slept past second breakfast. It wasn't quite second breakfast yet, but it was obvious that his Uncle Bilbo was no longer resting. He was crying and he didn't like it when his uncle cried. He was always so happy and made him feel safe no matter what happened. He wanted to make his uncle feel like he made him feel.

His mind made up, the faunt clambered down from his seat and carefully made his way across the room. He knocked on the door, not wanting to get in trouble in case his uncle didn't want to be seen. "Uncle Bilbo?" he asked, "May I please come in?"

The sobbing came to a halt quickly, but he could hear him breathing heavily within. He grew even more worried, unsure of what was happening.

"Come in lad!" he called after a few moments.

The faunt frowned at the sight of his uncle when he came in. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks wet from tears. But he was smiling for some reason, even though he was crying. Frodo didn't understand... Was this something grown-ups did? Or had his uncle been broken somehow? He really didn't want him to be broken.

"Are you okay?" the faunt asked, coming closer to take a seat beside him, "You've been crying, but I heard you laughing a few minutes ago."

"I'm fine, my boy." the older hobbit said, pulling his nephew into his lap, "I'm better than fine, actually."

"Then why were you crying?"

It took his uncle a few seconds to come up with an answer. "Sometimes, people get so happy that they start to cry." he said softly, "This morning, I woke to something that made me very happy, but I never thought it would happen. So I began to cry."

Frodo was still confused though. "Does that mean you're really happy?" he asked, "What could make you so happy your cried? Happy people aren't supposed to cry."

"It's the happiest I've been since I got you." he said, placing a small kiss to the faunt's nose, which earned him a small giggle and a smile, "As for what made me happy... I trusted someone to take care of something for me, even though I thought it would end badly. But this morning, I woke up and the person kept their word."

The faunt still didn't completely understand, but it didn't matter anymore. His uncle was okay! He wasn't broken!

"Okay." he said, "But no more crying! I don't like it when you cry!"

"Alright lad, no more crying." he said, holding Frodo close.

The two stayed in their embrace for a few minutes before the faunt's tummy began to rumble. He smiled sheepishly at his uncle. "I think it's time for second breakfast." he said.

"Second breakfast already?" he asked, "Did I truly sleep that long?"

Frodo nodded. "I wanted to wake you up, but Mr. Hamfast and Mr. Clovis told me to leave you alone." he explained, "I wasn't supposed to wake you up, they said you needed to sleep."

"I believe I did." he said, "But now, I believe we have some empty tummies to fill, don't we?"

The faunt nodded eagerly and Bilbo put him down. "Go wait for me while I get dressed." he said, "We can go eat with the dwarves today."

He couldn't help but squeal with delight. His uncle rarely went into the dining hall to eat, though he didn't know why. Bilbo would look in and either decide it was okay, or get a weird look and declare that he wasn't hungry. Frodo didn't truly know why, but he noticed that his uncle only ate when the king wasn't there. He didn't understand why, the dwarf talked to him sometimes and seemed nice enough.

"You can meet my new friends!" he said, not letting his thoughts go too far in his excitement, "They're dwarves, just like your friends!"

"You have dwarf friends now?" he asked, giving Frodo a small smile at his eager nodding.  
"I'll tell you about them when we go." he said, heading for the door, "Get dressed or we might miss them!"

* * *

That morning, Bilbo did his normal check and Frodo saw his odd expression coming once more. But the older hobbit didn't turn around, going inside instead.

His charge followed, eager for his uncle to meet his friends. He spotted two of them with their parents, leading Bilbo straight to them while telling him of all the 'adventures' they had had together.

From across the room, a lone dwarf king watched as the hobbit came in. It had been a surprise to see him enter. He was used to seeing his head pop in, only to disappear as soon as they made eye contact. Today, when their gazes met, the hobbit gave him a smile. That told him a multitude of things, all of them setting a fire of hope off inside him once more


	5. A Promise of Harm and Safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo starts to recover from his time with the ring and little faunts aren't nearly as unobservant as the adults hope they are. A threat inside the mountain is discovered and Thorin makes his stance on the hobbits clear.

Slowly, as Bilbo spent more time away from the ring, he improved. His nightmares were losing their intensity and their frequency and the paranoid thoughts that often plauged him rarely surfaced. With the lessening of his paranoia, he found himself able to eat like a proper hobbit once more and gained some of his weight back. He also began to venture out of the hobbits' quarters more, spending his time with friends, both old and new. And he slowly began to repair his relationship with Thorin, allowing himself to call the dwarf a trusted friend once more.

The king spent a shocking amount of time with the hobbits. He tried to eat dinner with them and the Company everyday at least, if he could manage it. Other times, he would come back to see him with the faunts, telling them the stories of Erebor or letting them climb him like they did the trees in the Shire. He even helped them move into their new quarters by the market when the time came! But he always made time for Bilbo, even if it was just for a short conversation. 

And with every chat, Bilbo found himself pushing the past behind to look forward. He no longer flinched when Thorin touched him, nor did he run and hide if he saw him in public. For the first time since they arrived in the mountain, Bilbo allowed himself to relax. This wasn't the Shire by no means, but Erebor was becoming home...

But he was worried about the changes as well. He had never admitted it before, not during his journey with the dwarves, not during the war, not during his journey home, nor during his time in the Shire or their trip back to Erebor. But now, watching Thorin allow Frodo and his friends to braid flowers into his hair, the hobbit couldn't deny it any longer. He was, without a doubt, in love with Thorin Oakenshield. 

It was a conclusion that both brought him peace and fear. After denying his feelings for years, claiming that he never stood a chance at taking his heart, it was a relief to finally admit them to himself. But part of him feared what could happen if he ever told the dwarf what he felt for him. He never imagined Thorin returning his feelings, there was no way that a dwarvish king could fall for a simple hobbit. But he could see Thorin laughing at him, see him telling him how foolish his desires were before telling him to leave his mountain. So he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to risk what friendship he had reclaimed.

Sadly, for him at least, Frodo noticed his uncle's strange mood. The faunt had been ecstatic at first, glad that he could finally walk around the mountain with Uncle Bilbo without worrying about him forcing him back to their quarters. The older hobbit absolutely adored Frodo's new friends, often sending Breta, Kralek, and Bemo home with fresh-made breads and little stuffed animals. But he noticed how sad he would get after Mr. Thorin left.

He knew that something bad had happened between his uncle and the king, but no one could or would tell him what it was. But Thorin always looked so happy to see his uncle and Uncle Bilbo smiled brighter when he was in the room... It didn't make any sense! How could his uncle be so happy to see him, yet so sad when he left... Unless he didn't want Mr. Thorin to leave!

For the moment, he had solved the mystery... Until he went to tell the others.

"It can't be because he misses Mr. Thorin." Salvia said, rolling her eyes, "If he just missed him, then he'd look like that when the other dwarves leave too."

"But then why does he look so sad?" he asked, confused even more, "It's only after he leaves that Uncle Bilbo gets like that. And he's so happy when he's here!"

"Well..." Roslyn said, looking at the other girls, "I don't know about you, but I've seen Momma look like that. She always looked sad after Poppa left for the fields."

"Our Mommy did that too!" Pearl said, her sisters nodding, "She'd get sad when Daddy left and she told us it was because she loved him so much she didn't want him to go!"

"Are you saying that my uncle loves Mr. Thorin?" Frodo asked.

"It looks like it." Salvia said, "I never saw my mom look at my dad like that, but I know my Auntie Lily looked at my Auntie Belle the same way when she went out to the market."

"Then why don't they do all the other icky adult stuff?" he asked, "I never see them kissing or holding hands..."

"Dwarves don't do stuff like we do." Otton said, "I overheard Mister Ori talkin' 'bout how he wanted to hold Mister Dwalin's hand, but he can't because they ain't courtin'."

"So, if we can get Uncle Bilbo and Mister Thorin to court, he won't look so sad all that time?" he asked, getting nods from everyone, "But how do we get them to court?"

"You've got to make Mister Thorin jealous." Berylla said, "Momma always said that Poppa wouldn't court her till she kissed Alfred Greenfoot. He got so mad he punched him in the face and gave Momma her rose!"

"So I gotta make uncle kiss another dwarf in front of Mister Thorin?" he asked, "That sounds hard. There's no way he'd ever kiss anyone!"

"Or you've got to trick them into kissing each other." Roslyn added, which didn't help Frodo in the slightest.

"Don't worry about it." Salvia said, "We'll come up with something..."

* * *

  
The faunts were acting strangely and Thorin didn't like it. 

It had been small at first, he'd notice one or two of the tiny hobbits watching him from behind one of the statues. They would quickly run away, giggling. He had brushed it off at first, thinking of it as nothing more than a child's game.

But then, after he'd see them, odd things would happen. Specifically, odd things would happen to Bilbo. One time, the children ran and tripped the older hobbit. He had fallen straight into Dwalin's arms. He had apologized profusely to the tattooed dwarf at that incident.

Then he had tripped over Frodo after Thorin had seen two of the girls giggling behind one of the banners. That time, he had fallen into an unsuspecting chef.

The two had ended up on the floor, the hobbit on top blushing brightly. Again, he had apologized before running off in a hurry.

It continued to happen again and again, causing Thorin to get into a tizzy each time he saw his One almost kiss another dwarf. He knew Bilbo wasn't doing it on purpose, but it caused him to see red almost every time. 

But he knew the faunts weren't quite as innocent as their guardian. They'd watch the scene with wide and hopeful eyes, but quickly became discouraged as Bilbo ran off once more. He wondered what they were hoping for, but had no time to ask. His raven had returned mere days before with a message from Gandalf. The wizard had promised to be swift with his arrival, hoping to arrive in two weeks time, just before harvesting time.

On top of that, he had heard from Nori about a group of dwarves who were not taking nicely to the extended stay of the hobbits. They had expected the king to throw them on the arses once the cold weather had passed and, from what the spymaster had heard, were furious when the king refused to hand them over to the orcs. A waste of dwarvish men and resources, they had called it. Now he had guards posted in all the areas where the hobbits spent their time in, with one or two tailing each hobbit in case they were ambushed. He wouldn't risk their safety, not within his mountain.

He met with Nori at least three times a week for updates, but he was finding it difficult to locate who was at the center of it all. He suspected it was a dwarf of higher standing, but any trail that could lead to him or her quickly ran cold. At least he was catching most of the henchmen and he was certain he could get one to crack soon. But it helped Thorin little, knowing that someone wanted to hand his One over to the orcs. 

His sword remained sharp and ready at all times now. If anyone thought that they were going to harm Bilbo or his kin under his reign, they would be most sorely mistaken.

* * *

  
Frodo was quickly becoming discouraged.

All of their attempts to make Mister Thorin jealous had gone wrong. His uncle never ended up kissing the dwarf they knocked him in to and the king never went to kiss him, no matter how mad he looked. All of the faunts had come tried to come up with more ideas, but they were quickly shoved to the side. They knew they couldn't trick Bilbo into giving Thorin a courting gift, none of them could find the right flowers for the crown and none of them knew how to make their guardian's famous red velvet cake.

And Frodo's dwarvish friends had told them that the king probably wouldn't understand the significance anyway. Breta had looked at him strangely when he had brought it up and Kralek had laughed out loud. It was Bemo who informed him that the dwarvish courtship could only be started with a bead made by a person's own hand. He doubted he could convince his uncle to make one just for his own hair, much less for the king.

So now they were back at square one, the dwaflings joining them as they debated their next move. They all want Mister Bilbo to be happy and they knew that Mister Thorin was the way to do that, but they were both too stubborn to admit it. Frodo was frustrated and stood up, surprising everyone.

"I'm just going to talk to Uncle Bilbo." he said matter-of-factly, "If I tell him how silly he's being, maybe he'll go tell Mister Thorin how he feels."

"Or you're just going to make him upset." Sam said, "You know how private your uncle is. And it isn't good manners to stick your nose into other people's business."

"Manners won't do you any good if you die alone." he said in response, heading for the door, "I at least have to try or Uncle Bilbo might never do it."  
He left before the others could say anything more on the matter. His uncle usually headed for Dori's shop around now and he was sure he could catch up before he made it. Making a left, he ran down the halls. He dodged around the dwarves, having grown used to navigating the crowded halls of Erebor. 

It wasn't long before he reached the secret passage his uncle took to avoid the denser halls. He had had his feet stepped on by heavy boots one too many times to continue taking the normal path. Frodo quickly ducked into the hall, hoping that he had caught up in time.

A sharp scream stopped him dead in his tracks... That sounded like Uncle Bilbo!

Quietly, he went forward and almost screamed himself. A dwarf was holding a sword to his neck while two guards did nothing. He could see that they were talking, but he couldn't hear what was being said. The dwarf holding his uncle captive held the blade closer to his throat before leading the group into another passage way.

Frodo was frozen in place. Had he just watched his uncle being kidnapped? That couldn't be possible! All the dwarves loved his uncle, they got stopped in the markets all the time by dwarves who wanted to thank him for all he did for Erebor. Why would they want to hurt him?  
Remembering how scared his uncle had looked, the faunt quickly regained his composure. He had to do something or Uncle Bilbo might get hurt! Without a second thought, he shot for the throne room. If anyone could help, it would be Mister Thorin.

* * *

  
Court was boring and unnecessary as usual. It had started with a dispute between the Cooking guild and the Metalsmith guild over a trade. Apparently, it had been agreed upon the heads that, if the chefs would agree to make the food the Smith's Feast, the smiths would make them new pots and pans for the kitchen. While the Cooking guild had fulfilled their part of the deal, the Metalsmiths had yet to bring the new tools. 

It had been simple enough to solve, especially when the head of the Cooking Guild brought the written contract between them. He had ordered the opposing guild to fulfill their deal or face disciplinary action. Then his advisers had come forward, bickering about housing and how there would be no room for more dwarves. One of them, an older dwarf by the name of Thurun, son of Gomun, had suggested that the hobbits be moved out of the mountain to make more space for the incoming dwarves, but Thorin would not hear of it. The hobbits were only safe from orcs within their walls and, while he knew the men of Dale would protect them, they did not have the defenses that they had. 

That had been solved when Fefrak, son of Frorak, had suggested that they clear out the guests quarters. And Mhusrim, son of Drarim, had put forth the idea of making a new Shire out of the hills near their home. It would take time, but they could build a new wall that would protect them, but also make sure that they were still able to come and go from the mountain as they pleased. Thorin had immediately ordered that a group of dwarves clear the guest corridor while another made plans to wall off the northern hills. 

He had just been about to hear the case between the Mining guild and the Tailors guild, how they came into conflict was anyone's guess, when young Frodo came bursting through the doors. The guards followed quickly behind, sending apologetic looks to their king.

"I'm sorry your Majesty, but the young one has been hysterical since he arrived." one said, "We've been unable to get him to tell us what is wrong, except that he needed to see you immediately."

He motioned for them to come forward and Frodo darted straight to him. He continued to babble, his words unintelligible. But he could clearly hear Bilbo's name among the mess.

"Take a deep breath little one." he said, rubbing his back gently. He didn't stop until the faunt was calmed once more. Or, at least, as close to it as he could get.

"Now, can you please tell me what is wrong?" he asked, "I heard you mention your uncle..."

"They took him!" Frodo said, causing Thorin's blood to run cold, "He was gonna meet Mister Dori and took the short cut, but I heard him scream! And a dwarf was holding a sword to his throat! Please Mister Thorin, you have to do something!"

Thorin closed his eyes and sighed, placing Frodo on the ground before standing. Being frantic wasn't going to help the situation. He needed to be calm, both for the faunt and his kingdom. "Send out the guards." he said, voice low and steady, "I want them to check every nook and cranny of this mountain for the hobbit. I want him found before the sun sets..."

Pausing, he pulled out Orcist from it's sheath. "If even one hair on his head is harmed..." he continued, lightly running his fingers across the blade, "... Expect there to be blood. I promised that they would be safe within our mountain and I did not limit the threat to orcs."


	6. Truths in the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo wakes up in the middle of a cave injured, alone, and with no idea how he got there. His kidnappers waste no time in letting him know what they expect. Thorin is going mad with worry and he finds out a lot from the little faunt who refuses to let him go. And he will have Bilbo home before the sun sets, for he has something to confess.

Blearily, Bilbo began to wake once more. He had no clue where he was and didn't have the foggiest idea of how he got here. All that was evident to him was that he was in a dark cave, lying on a cold, rocky floor. His knee was radiating with pain and he could feel that the area was wet. He went to reach for the injury, trying to remember what had happened, when he realized his hands were bound together. It quickly became clear that his legs had been bound as well and someone had gagged him. 

Panic began to settle into his heart and he looked around desperately. Currently, he could see no one with him, but someone had had to do this. There was no way he could bound himself like this and there was no reason for him to be within a cave. He tried to free himself, but the rope refused to budge. Until someone undid the knots, he was trapped.

To the left, he could hear footsteps. Emerging from the darkness were three dwarves, two of which wore the clothes of Erebor's guards. The third he could not recall ever seeing in his life, not even in passing. But seeing them caused his memories to flood back and his blood to run cold...

* * *

_He had been minding his own business, taking his normal route to see Dori. The two typically met once a week for tea and could spend hours talking if the dwarf had no customers. Bilbo had been looking forward to their tea time, needing a break from everything. After a week of tripping over faunts and desperately trying to move on from his hopeless crush on Thorin, he needed some peace and quiet... Maybe even some advice from his friend as well._

_Bilbo didn't even think twice about going down the empty passageway. It had become such a normal part of his routine and he had thought himself safe. No one ever paid much attention to him in the halls, too focused on their own lives to bother themselves with him. And he knew that the guards were not far behind, ready to defend him at a moments notice. No, he had not thought his shortcut to be dangerous at all._

_At least, he hadn't until he felt the cold blade of a sword against his throat. He had screamed then, but had quickly been silenced. The two guards that he had thought were to protect him were watching passively from the other side while a third dwarf held him hostage. It hadn't taken him long to determine that they had no qualms about harming him, as the blade dug a little deeper when he tried to pull away._

_"If you want to live, I suggest you stop struggling." one of the guards said, his face hidden by his hood._

_He had stopped squirming, hoping against hope that someone had heard him scream. It was his only chance of escape, unless his captors became careless._

_"Be careful with it." the second guard said, "We need it for information right now. I don't fancy trying to take another one of these pests."_

_"Just relax." the third dwarf said, easing off the blade a little bit, "We've got this covered. Just go ahead, make sure no one sees us. We ain't got much time before someone notices it's missin'."_

_They had drug him away then and the hobbit's heart sunk. If they got too far, there would be no way for anyone to find him. That revelation was probably what made him act like a fool and try to escape._

_When the dwarf had relaxed a little too much, he made his move. He quickly kicked him in his nether region, causing him to cry out and let him go. Bilbo had tore away from him, trying to run back to the crowded halls. If he made it back, he would be safe._

_He had barely made five steps before the guards were on him. The first had thrown his axe, cutting off his escape route. Bilbo had tried to turn, but ran straight into the second dwarf. There was no light in his eyes as he roughly grabbed him, only to throw him to the ground. He had no time to react before the guard brought his hammer down on his knee._

_His scream had barely left his throat when he had been struck in the head, rendering him unconscious._

* * *

Unsurprisingly, he recognized one of the guards. It was Glulvak, his axe shining dully in the faint light of their torches. Bilbo recognized him as the one who often stood guard outside of Thorin's chambers. He was one of the most trusted guards under Dwalin's command, the two had grown up together and had gone through training together. Seeing that he was one of his captors sent a shiver down his spine. No one would ever suspect him, not with his loyalty to Dwalin and the line of Durin.

The second guard was new, young and barely out of training if he remembered correctly. He couldn't remember his name though, he barely saw the lad. But he knew something was wrong with him, as both Dwalin and Nori had expressed concerns over him despire passing his training. Something had happened with either him or his family in the Blue Mountains, but he couldn't remember for the life of him what it was.

Still, he did not recognize the third dwarf. But he recognized the emblem on his vest, a symbol of the far away Red Mountains. Dori had told him what it was when he had noticed a multitude of dwarves wearing the symbol. They were apparently making a diplomatic visit to ensure a trade route between their home and Erebor... And kidnap hobbits, considering his current situation.

"Look whose finally awake." the third dwarf said, a cruel smile on his face, "It's rude to sleep when you have visitors, you know."

Bilbo didn't respond, not that he could with the gag in his mouth. The dwarf looked to the unknown guard. "Kroil, go watch the entrance." he said, "Make sure no one disturbs us. We'd hate for our time with Master Baggins here to be cut short."

Kroil nodded and went off to do as he was ordered. The hobbit didn't get to focus on that development for too long before a blade was held to his neck once more.

"From what Glulvak tells me, you could be useful." he says, causing the guard to nod, "You are unnaturally close to the king and you've been rumored to have some sort of magic object... A ring, if my companion here heard correctly?"

His heart dropped at the mention of the ring. If they got a hold of it, it would be an easy feat to take out his kin. They would have no way to see him and would have no way to defend themselves. He knew Thorin had given it to Balin to hide away though, which was a relief.

"Aye." Glulvak said, startling Bilbo, "He gave it to the king one night. It's why the orcs are attacking us. They want what this little worm had."

"And I'm sure Thorin told you where he planned to hide it." the mystery dwarf said, removing the gag from Bilbo's mouth, "Now, if you're a good little hobbit and tell me where it is, I'll make your death painless and let your kin leave this mountain without any harm. If your bad..." His blade was pushed a little harder, causing him to start bleeding, "I will do whatever necessary to get the information that I want... Your death will be slow and painful, as will your kins."

"I don't know." he said, trying to hide his fear, "Thorin did not..."

He was cut off by a sharp blow to his cheek, causing him to cry out. "Do not lie to me!" he hissed, "I know the king told you!"

"I heard you say you wouldn't give it to King Oakenshield until you knew what he planned to do with it." Glulvak added, emotionless as he came forward with his axe, "You gave it to him, so he must have told you."

"I don't know!" he said, "He did not tell me where!"

The mystery dwaf began to laugh. "You truly are a stubborn thing." he said before looking to Glulvak, "Go get my bag. I have ways to make him speak..."

* * *

Even after hours of scouring the halls, no one had found the hobbit.

It was causing Thorin to panic. His guards were everywhere, but he did not know if they could be trusted. It hadn't taken long for Frodo to tell him that two of the dwarves that took his uncle were guards. It took some time, but Dwalin had confirmed that all his guards were present, with the exception of the two that were meant to be protecting Bilbo. It had come as a shock to learn that Glulvak was one of them and it made Thorin and Dwalin question who could be trusted. Any one of them could know where Bilbo was, but was purposely leading them away to buy them more time.

He looked at Frodo, who was currently asleep on lap. The poor faunt's face was red and puffy and he held the king's tunic in a death grip. He had tried to take the poor boy back to his relatives earlier, but he had panicked. So he had let him stay.  
  
The other hobbits were currently in the royal quarters with what little of the Company that wasn't searching for Bilbo. It was the only place he could think to put them where no one would dare try to take them and they would not let anyone harm them. Dori, Ori, Bofur, Bifur, and Bombur loved the hobbits dearly and, while they wanted to join the search, knew that the others needed protection. They were currently keeping them calm as well, as they had understandably panicked when they heard what happened.

Frodo had done his best to tell him what happened to his uncle. but his information had been limited. The passage way was dark and while he knew there were three dwarves, he couldn't tell him who the third was. He had been hooded, like the guards. All he could see was a little of his beard, bright red and with few braids. 

But, while his information on the kidnappers was scarce, he had something else to tell Thorin. "I was going to tell him he was being silly." he admitted softly to him, hiccuping occasionally from all his tears, "He was so happy to see you and he'd get so sad when you left. The girls said he was in love with you and... And we tried to help. We tried to make you jealous, like Berylla's mommy did with her daddy, but it didn't work..." He paused there, looking up at Thorin,

"Please don't throw us out. Uncle Bilbo can't change how he feels..."

"You have no fear of being thrown out." Thorin said after a moment of silence. Bilbo was in love with him... His feelings were returned! But... Was it too late?

"Do you love Uncle Bilbo too?" he had asked, growing drowsy in his lap.

"Aye." he had said, "I love your uncle."

The faunt hadn't lasted long after that, falling asleep. But he had become more frantic to find Bilbo, pushing his men harder to find him. An hour later, Nori had come forward with a dwarf that he did not recognize. His outfit clearly marked him as dwarf of the Red Mountains though, which put Thorin on edge. Their negotiations weren't going well at the moment and, while they had spoken little on the subject of hobbits, it was clear they thought themselves above them.

"My men caught him trying to clean up a puddle of blood in the lower halls." Nori said, "And he had this on his person."

His breath caught in his throat, for in Nori's hand was one of Bilbo's buttons. The golden metal shone in the little, the acorn engraved in it's middle leaving no mistake of who it belonged to. A quiet rage filled him, wanting to tear the dwarf in front of him to shreds, but still knowing that this was neither the time, nor the place, for such actions. "Where did you find this?" he asked, his voice cold as he stared down the traitor in his midst, "Who are you working for? Why have they taken Master Baggins? And where is the hobbit now? Answer me truthfully and I may give you mercy."

The dwarf in front of him whimpered pathetically. "Please, know I wanted nothing to do with this." he pleaded, his voice shaking, "I had no clue my kin were planning such an act, I only came to find a home among your halls... But, when we arrived, I found my company's plans had changed. They wanted wealth and power beyond their reach and began to search for a way to find it. One of your guards, he told our leader, Dwoigi, about a magic ring the hobbit had entrusted you with. He thought if he could gain possession of it, he could purge the mountain of non-dwarves and gain the riches he's always sought."

"So he took him for the trinket?" he said, eyes never leaving the dwarf in front of him.

"Not only for the ring." he admitted, "He saw how... close, the two of you were. While the ring would allow him to take out his enemies unseen, he... He believed that he could dangle him in front of you for treasure. If his original plan still holds true, he plans to send you pieces of the hobbit one by one until you give in to his demands. If he were to die before, he would simply take another hobbit and repeat the process over and over until you gave him what he wanted."

"And if I never gave in?" he asked, holding Frodo closer to his chest, "If he killed all the hobbits and I still didn't give him what he wanted?"

"He planned to don the ring and take out your line." he said, swallowing hard, "He would reveal himself in front of everyone and declare himself the true king of Erebor."

"But how do you fit into all of this?" Thorin asked, "Why has one of my own dwarves caught you in this conspiracy?"

"He threatened my life and the lives of my family." the dwarf admitted, "I... I wasn't supposed to know of his plans, but I overheard him. He told me I would participate or perish by his blade. Today, he sent me to remove all evidence of the hobbit's presence in the halls. If I remember correctly, he planned to take him to the abandoned silver mines."

Thorin did not speak for a few minutes, taking all the information in. The dwarf in front of him began to squirm as time passed, but stilled when he felt hands on his shoulders. "Take him to the dungeons for now." the king said, looking up once more, "I don't want him to change his mind and tell his kin we're coming. I will deliver a sentence after Master Baggins is found."

Nori nodded and two guards came forward, taking the dwarf from the throne room. "I'll send word to Dwalin." he said, bowing to his king, "Bilbo shall be found and returned within the hour."

"I'm going with you." he said, standing, "I'll take Frodo to the others and meet you in the lower halls. I need to be there, to both show what happens when you defy me and to protect those who are under my protection."

The spymaster nodded. "If you aren't there when the miners start to head home, we're going without you." he said simply before disappearing once more.

Thorin growled and grabbed his sword, eager for the blade to be stained with red. But he saw Frodo as well, clutching to him as if he was the last real thing in his world. Gently, he placed a kiss to the faunt's head. He would be quick so he would not wake alone. If he was lucky, he would have an uninjured Bilbo by his side as well.


	7. Rescuing Bilbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our hobbit refuses to break under pressure, not even at the threat of death. But he has little to fear, for Thorin is coming... Also, a short part from Kìli's perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for all the support! Your comments are lovely and I'm so happy to see that all of you are enjoying this. I was hesitant to post the first chapter, I haven't really been in the Hobbit Fandom for long, but you've made this such an enjoyable experience.
> 
> This chapter was a bit of a challenge. Nothing I wrote seemed to fit and I wanted to give you an update before I went back to work. This may be the last update until my next day off (8-24-18). I may have it up sooner, depending on how things work out.
> 
> Again, thank you for all the support. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the others. :)

Everything around him was stained with crimson red. The floor, the walls, even the ceiling was covered in it. It stuck uncomfortably to his skin and soaked the rags of which used to be his clothes. His kidnapper was ruthless, but Bilbo refused to give him even a small bit of the information he sought. 

There wasn't a spot on his body that didn't hurt. His head pounded after being stuck repeatedly, blood was running down his forehead and into his eyes. His face was bruised and bloodly from the punches and he was certain a few of his ribs were broken. It was getting harder and harder to breath as time went on. The knee that Kroil broke earlier had started to dull, but his other knee now sported a knife embedded deep inside it.

The dwarf had done his homework as well, having removed his feet of their curls. Even though it didn't hurt, not like the rest of his body, Bilbo could not stand to look at his feet. He felt violated and dirty, but he still did not tell him what he wanted to hear. His kidnapper would have no use for him once he knew where the ring had gone and there was no doubt in his mind he would leave his body somewhere for Thorin or his kin to find. So he defiantly brought his gaze back up, his decision never wavering.

"Thorin did not tell me where he planned to hide the ring." Bilbo said, bracing for another strike, "He wanted no one to be able to find it."

Again, the mystery dwarf struck his cheek and the hobbit spat out a little more blood. "You are being ridiculous!" he hissed, "You keep insisting on drawling out your pain! Tell me what you know of the ring and I will end your suffering, quick and painless."

Yet again, Bilbo remained silent. The dwarf gave a dark chuckle as the silence filled the cave. 

"You truly are a stupid creature." he said, eyes glinting with maliciousness as he grabbed his knife once more, "Maybe you really don't know anything... That just means I can finally rid myself of you. The king won't be able to lock your kin away forever... Maybe they will be more willing to give me what I want."  
Bilbo eyed the knife with a tired resignation. He knew that this was the most likely way this was going to end, but he had begun to hope that maybe...

A loud crash came from the entrance of the cave, following by a loud, but brief, scream. Glulvak quickly pulled his axe once more, ready for a fight, while his kidnapper pulled him to his feet. He screamed in pain, but was silenced as the knife came to rest at his throat once more. No matter what happened, this dwarf was determined to make today his last.

* * *

Thorin hadn't hesitated in the slightest when he spotted the lookout outside the abandoned mine. All he saw was red, knowing that his own guards had betrayed him and taken the one most dearest to him. The guard, Kroil if he remembered quickly, was quickly taken care of. Orcist was buried in his throat just as his scream tore from him.

He looked back to Balin, Dwalin, Nori, Gloin, Oin, and his sister-sons, but found no disgust in their eyes. Just acceptance that this was what needed to be done. 

Dwalin stepped forward, eyeing the dead guard with disdain. "I knew that there was something off with him." he said, "Should've booted him out the mountain the moment he arrived."

"You should have let me dispatch him." Nori said, gaining a glare from Thorin, "His scream, while short, probably alerted Glulvak and this Dwoigi fellow. They're going to be ready for a fight..."

"If they were not ready for battle, they should not have taken our burglar." he said, pulling Orcist free once more, "But I see your point. You should enter the mine first, tell us what you see. We need to be careful, they could very well kill Bilbo if they see all of us."

Nori nodded and stepped into the mine. Thorin watched him go, berating himself for letting his enemy sound the alarm. For all he knew, they might have just killed Bilbo at the first sign of trouble. He would never forgive himself if his foolishness caused the death of his One.

They waited in tense silence for a few minutes before Nori returned. He looked grim and Thorin couldn't help but assume the worse. "Have they...?"

"Bilbo lives." he said, causing them all to release the breath they didn't know they were holding, "But they are on guard... And Dwoigi has Bilbo at knife point. If we make one wrong move, he'll take him out without a second thought."

"Then let me go." Kìli said, surprising his uncle, "I can handle it. The mine is dark, there should be a place where I can stay hidden and take a shot at the traitor."

"But we don't want him dead just yet." Balin said, glancing at the prince, "We need to know who else is involved with this scheme. If we kill him straight, someone else might try to finish the job. And I doubt you could get a shot that would take out both of them at the same time without risking Bilbo. We must find another way to proceed."

"We haven't got time to find another entrance!" Thorin growled, "The longer we debate how to proceed, the more time they have to harm him!" He paused, looking to Kìli, "Take Nori and enter the mine. Both of you pick a target and try to keep them alive. Kill them if you believe that it's either them or Bilbo. We will come in a few moments after you, to provide support if they catch on."

Kìli nodded and gently placed his forehead against his uncle's. "I won't let anything happen to him." he promised before dashing into the mine, Nori quick on his heels.

Fìli looked to his uncle, obviously nervous about letting his brother face the traitors. He didn't say a word, but it was clear he was unsure about the plan. 

"They will be fine." he said, answering the unspoken question, "I trust them to handle the situation correctly. But if we hear even the slightest sound of distress, we charge into battle. While I do not wish to lose Mr. Baggins, losing him, Kìli, and Nori would be a huge blow."

* * *

His kidnapper was beginning to panic.

Bilbo watched him carefully, both fearful he would simply end him now and hopeful that he would be rescued soon. No one entered the cave after the scream, not that they could tell at least. He had thought he had seen the slightest movement out of the corner of his eye, but he chalked it up to his imagination. 

When no one stepped forward for a few minutes, Glulvak went to investigate. He had muttered something about 'idiot newbies' before he had gone and he couldn't help but doubt his friends once more. Maybe the guard had simply hurt himself and hadn't muffled his scream in time? 

But Glulvak didn't return either and his kidnapper was losing his cool. The hobbit could see fear in him for the first time. But his fear was causing him pain as well. The more he panicked, the harder he would press the knife to his throat. Little rivelets of blood were starting to inch their way down his neck and he knew that, if someone didn't get here soon, he would be killed.

"Where did he go!?" the dwarf said, watching the darkness with manic eyes, "This shouldn't be taking this long! Fuck!"

Bilbo watched the darkness along side his captor. He had to keep hoping. It was all he had left.

* * *

Anger didn't come naturally to Kìli. Everyone in his family knew this. All of the company had come to learn it as well. So, in turn, they knew that something major had to happen if it invoked his rage. And this... Well, he couldn't remember being this angry before.

It hadn't taken them long to stumble across Glulvak. The older dwarf hadn't notice them until it was too late. He had an arrow buried in his knee within seconds of coming into his range and Nori had pounced before he could make a sound. They had left the traitor bound and gagged, ready to be drug away to the dungeons.

But he betrayal hadn't made him see red. It was more of a depressing reality for the young prince. Loyalty wasn't always guaranteed and anyone could turn on you. It was something he accepted, though it was hard to swallow.

No, Glulvak's betrayal hadn't caused his anger. But sitting in the shadows and seeing just what his betrayal had caused... Well, it was only Nori's hand on his shoulder that stopped him from rushing in to battle.

The dwarf, he refused to call him by his name, had Bilbo in a death hold. He could see the knife, silver and deadly, being pressed against his friend's neck. He could see the blood running down his throat, staining what used to be one of the hobbit's favorite outfits. Bilbo's face was dark with bruises, but his eyes were still bright. He hadn't given up hope just yet, which raised Kìli's spirits slightly. But he couldn't imagine how he kept it, not with the litany of bruises and wounds that covered his body.

His captor was clearly panicking and the danger level was rising. If they didn't act quickly, he could kill Bilbo without noticing.

Kìli drew his bow, aiming for the dwarf's shoulder. If he hit it, the dwarf would drop his weapon. He could faintly see Nori's outline next to him, his own knife ready. It was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, the prince made sure his aim was still true. And he let his arrow fly.

* * *

One moment, he had been held against his captor's chest with a knife at his throat. The next, his captor had an arrow in his shoulder and a furious Spymaster on top of him. Bilbo had fallen in a heap, crying out as his injured knees gave out on him. 

He hadn't completely hit the floor though, being caught by strong arms. He looked up, smiling weakly when he saw Kìli looking down at him. "Took you long enough." he said, earning a laugh from the prince.

"Sorry about that, Uncle was in a bit of a panic." he said, gently lowering Bilbo down to the floor.

"Was he truly that worried?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Thankfully, Kìli took no offense. "He was." he said softly, "The moment Frodo burst into court he had been concerned, but the moment he told him you had been taken... I hadn't seen him so mad since I was but a dwarfling."

"Frodo...?" he asked, confused before a terror-filled understanding crossed his face, "Oh sweet Yavanna! Frodo!"

In his panic, the hobbit tried to get to his feet. He cried out in pain once more as he jostled his wounds. 

"Stay down Master Boggins!" Kìli said, gently placing his hands on his shoulders so he couldn't stand again, "Frodo is fine, he's with your kin right now, surrounded by the rest of the company. Uncle didn't let him out of his sights until we knew for sure where you were."

Bilbo did not get a chance to speak again, as the sounds of pounding footsteps and metal armor filled the cave. Nori looked up from his spot, his prisoner gagged and bound like his companion. 

"And here comes the cavalry." he said, the rest of the dwarves coming into view a moment later.

Thorin was at the front, Orcist at the ready. Dwalin and Fìli were right behind, their own weapons out as well. Oin came last, as the others had been left to deal with Glulvak, though Bilbo did not now this.

"Bilbo..." Thorin said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The hobbit gave him a small smile. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." he said.

His voice broke the king from his trance and soon he was kneeling beside him. His hands held one of his bloody ones. 

"My laslel, my kurdel..." he said, bowing his head, "For a moment, I had feared we had lost you. When I heard you cry out..."

"It's going to take more than that to rid you of me." he said, curious as to what he had just been called. He had no time to ask, as Oin came over to check his wounds.

He poked and prodded, causing the hobbit to cry out more than once. "We need to get him to the infirmary." he said, "They've done a number on him and I don't have all the right supplies to deal with this here. Gotta be careful though, don't want to hurt him more than he already is."

"I'll carry him." Thorin said and before Bilbo could protest, he was in the king's arms.

He was surprisingly gentle and while his wounds twinged in protest, it wasn't the agony he had been feeling all day. Clinging to him, the hobbit allowed himself to relax. He was, once more, surrounded by friends. Once more, he was safe. Again, he would live to see another day.


End file.
